Although a certain percentage of American college students do come from wealthy families and have large expendable incomes, most American college students come from moderate-income families. At some universities, up to 80% of the student body receives some form of financial aid from the University and other sources. Most American students enter college knowing they must apply for loans, work part-time, and earn scholarships in order to meet their financial obligations.
The average tuition and fees per academic year at four-year undergraduate level can vary from less than $3,500 to over $15,000. Living expenses range from $4,700 to $6,000 each academic year. However, tuition and fees at selective private institutions may cost considerably more than these averages. For example States like Washington, California and area around New York is costly.
In general the cost of living may vary from $6000 to $10000. Renting an apartment can vary from $450 to$1000 (or more). Downtown Chicago may costs around $1200 for studio while it may be around $400 for Des Moines (IA). Grocery is really cheap (Wal-Mart!). It is assumed that students will live in shared Apartments, Live out of Campus. Most of all expenses Living only not Tuition fees can be met while working on Campus Jobs. The hourly pay for on Campus jobs Pay from $5 to $15 (sometimes more) per hour. Foreign Students can work for 20 hrs per week and 40 hrs per week during summer. Students may be allowed to work on or off Campus.
